Facts for Features: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: May 2014

In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a monthlong celebration. Per a 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific Islander racial category was separated into two categories: one being Asian and the other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Thus, this Facts for Features contains a section for each.

46.0%

Percentage growth of the Asian alone or in combination population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, which was more than any other major race group.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Custom Table 3,
<www.census.gov/2010census/news/xls/cb11cn123_us_2010redistr.xls>

4.2 million

Number of Asians of Chinese, except Taiwanese, descent in the U.S. in 2012. The Chinese (except Taiwanese) population was the largest Asian group, followed by Filipinos (3.6 million), Asian Indians (3.3 million), Vietnamese (1.9 million), Koreans (1.8 million) and Japanese (1.3 million). These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific detailed Asian group alone, as well as people who reported that detailed Asian group in combination with one or more other detailed Asian groups or another race(s).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, Table B02018
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/B02018>

Component ID: #ti2038960386

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$70,644

Median income of households headed by the Asian alone population in 2012.

Voting

547,000

The additional number of the Asian alone population who voted in the 2012 presidential election than in the 2008 election. All in all, 47 percent of Asians turned out to vote in 2012. A total of 3.9 million Asians voted in 2012.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, The Diversifying Electorate—Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections)
<http://www.census.gov/library/publications/2013/demo/p20-568.html>

Component ID: #ti2038960389

Voting

547,000

The additional number of the Asian alone population who voted in the 2012 presidential election than in the 2008 election. All in all, 47 percent of Asians turned out to vote in 2012. A total of 3.9 million Asians voted in 2012.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, The Diversifying Electorate—Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections)
<http://www.census.gov/library/publications/2013/demo/p20-568.html>

Jobs

49.1%

The proportion of civilian employed Asian alone population 16 and older who worked in management, business, science and arts occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses in 2012. Additionally, 17.3 percent worked in service occupations, 20.6 percent in sales and office occupations, 9.7 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations and 3.2 percent in natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, Table S0201, <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/S0201//popgroup~012>

Component ID: #ti758509571

Internet Use

88.6%

Percentage of Asian alone population in 2012 living in a household with Internet use -- the highest rate among race and ethnic groups.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Reported Internet Usage for Individuals 3 years and Older, by Selected Characteristics; Current Population Survey: 2012 Table 1 <http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/publications/2012.html>

364,395

Population in Hawaii which had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone or in combination, followed by California (333,893) in 2012. The Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders represented the largest population portion in Hawaii at 26 percent.
Source: 2012 Population Estimates <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPSR5H>

528,991

Number of Native Hawaiians in the U.S. in 2012. The Native Hawaiian population was the largest detailed Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHPI) group, followed by Samoan (172,595) and Guamanian or Chamorro (130,223). These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific detailed NHPI group alone, as well as people who reported that detailed NHPI group in combination with one or more other detailed NHPI groups or another race(s).
Source: U.S. Census. Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, Table B02019 <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/B02019>

Jobs

23.2%

The proportion of civilian employed Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone 16 and older who worked in management, business, science and arts occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses in 2012. Additionally, 24.6 percent worked in service occupations, while 27.7 percent worked in sales and office occupations; 15.9 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations; and 8.7 percent in natural resources, construction and maintenance occupation. The 23.2 percent in management business, science and arts occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses occupations is not statistically different from the 24.6 percent in service occupations.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey, Table S0201,
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/S0201//popgroup~050>

The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
Back to School (August)
Labor Day
Grandparents Day
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Halloween (Oct. 31)
American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day
The Holiday Season (December)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail: pio@census.gov.

Last Revised: August 6, 2018

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